Aligning output

Question

Hi, does anyone know any quick methods on how to align output in java programs. I wrote this program that inputs an item number, name and price and than prints those things in columns, but if someone enters a name too long than all the formatting gets mixed up. Here is the program:
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
import java.text.NumberFormat;
class Input extends Printout {
     public void Ask(){
          System.out.println("--------------------------------------------------------------------------------");
          System.out.println("                               Comedy Video House");
           System.out.println("                               1225 Programmers Road");
           System.out.println("                               Customer Invoice");
           System.out.println("--------------------------------------------------------------------------------");
           System.out.println("ITEM #\t\t\t\t ITEM NAME\t\t\t\t PRICE");
           System.out.println("--------------------------------------------------------------------------------");
          for (int i = 0; (nIN > 0); i++){
          ItemNumber = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Input Item Number:");
          nIN = Integer.parseInt(ItemNumber);
          if (nIN <= 0){
               break;//If item numbere is 0 or less than exit loop
          ItemName = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Input Item Name:");
          ItemPrice = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("Input Item Price:");
          nIP = Double.parseDouble(ItemPrice);
          System.out.println(nIN + "\t\t\t\t" + ItemName + "\t\t\t\t" + nIP);
          Subtotal = Subtotal + nIP;
          PST = (Subtotal * 0.08);
          GST = (Subtotal * 0.07);
          Total = Subtotal + PST + GST;
          System.out.println(" ");
          System.out.println("\t\t\t\t" + "Subtotal: " + "\t\t\t\t" + formatter.format(Subtotal));
          System.out.println(" ");
          System.out.println("\t\t\t\t" + "PST: " + "\t\t\t\t" + formatter.format(PST));
          System.out.println("\t\t\t\t" + "GST: " + "\t\t\t\t" + formatter.format(GST));
          System.out.println(" ");
          System.out.println("\t\t\t\t" + "TOTAL: " + "\t\t\t\t" + formatter.format(Total));
public class Printout {
     String ItemNumber;
     String ItemName;
     String ItemPrice;
     int nIN = 1;
     double nIP;
     double Subtotal;
     double PST, GST;
     double Total;
     //set currency format for costs
    NumberFormat formatter = NumberFormat.getCurrencyInstance();
    public static void main(String[] args) {
     Input aInput = new Input();
     aInput.Ask();
   }Thanks

Answer 1

you could just only show a maximum of whatever number of characters you want to have. for example:
String name = "Goolahee Butkiss";
if(name.length()>12){
    name = name.substring(0,12);
}Kind of a workaround but take it or leave it